You answer a Form E questionnaire by replying to each question the court has approved, in the same numbered order, with a direct answer and the documents behind it, by the date in the court order. You only have to answer questions the judge allows or that you agree to. The answers are evidence, so they need the same care as your Form E.
Receiving a questionnaire can feel like an accusation: pages of questions about your spending, your accounts and your pension, written as if you are hiding something. Usually you are not, and the questionnaire is simply how the other side fills the gaps in your Form E. This guide covers the rules, the deadline, how to set out your replies, how to deal with questions you think go too far, and what happens if replies are late or thin.
Before you rely on this
This is general information for England and Wales, not legal advice. If your finances are complex or disputed, get advice from a qualified family lawyer.
Quick answer: how do I answer a Form E questionnaire?
Wait until you know which questions you have to answer, either because the judge approved them at the First Appointment or because you agreed them with the other side. Then reply in a document that repeats each question with its number, gives a direct answer underneath, and points to an attached, numbered document wherever evidence is needed. Where you cannot answer, say why and what you have done to try. Court-directed replies must be verified by a statement of truth under Practice Direction 9A paragraph 5.2. Serve them on the other side by the deadline; do not file them at court unless directed.
The rest of this guide explains each of those steps. If you are on the other side of the process and need to write a questionnaire, our guide to what happens after Form E is exchanged covers that.
The rules: what you actually have to answer
Under the standard procedure, you must answer the questions the court approves. A questionnaire alone does not require immediate replies before the First Appointment; follow any earlier court directions, including any applicable pilot procedure. The procedure comes from Part 9 of the Family Procedure Rules 2010:
- Rule 9.14(5) requires each party to file a questionnaire at least 14 days before the First Appointment, setting out the further information and documents they want, by reference to their concise statement of issues. If they want nothing more, they say so.
- Rule 9.14(4) says that before the First Appointment, no disclosure or inspection of documents may be requested or given beyond what the rules allow. So a questionnaire you receive before the hearing is a request, not an order.
- Rule 9.15(2) gives the judge the job of deciding which questions must be answered and which documents must be produced. Judges regularly strike out or narrow questions.
- Rule 9.16 says that between the First Appointment and the FDR, neither of you is entitled to further documents except under the court's directions or with its permission.
In practice, the two sides often agree the questionnaires before the hearing, sometimes with changes, and the judge approves the agreed version. Either way, the document you end up answering is the approved questionnaire, which may be shorter than what you first received.
Questionnaires are also meant to be short. The Financial Remedies Court Efficiency Statement, dated 11 January 2022, says a questionnaire should be no more than four pages unless the case is very complex and the court approves something longer. If you receive fifteen pages, that is worth raising.
How long do you have to reply?
The deadline is whatever date the court sets in the directions order made at the First Appointment. The Family Procedure Rules do not fix a standard period for replies. Standard directions templates leave a blank for the judge to fill in, and the period is usually a matter of weeks. Read the order on the day you receive it, put the date in your calendar, and work backwards.
The order may also deal with other things you need for your replies, such as a valuation of the house, an updated pension value or a single joint expert. Some answers depend on third parties such as banks, pension schemes or your accountant, so request what you need from them in the first week. Pension providers in particular can take weeks.
If you realise you will not make the deadline:
- Write to the other side (or their solicitor) as early as possible, explain what is holding you up, and ask for a short extension.
- Send what you can by the original date, with a list of what is outstanding and when you expect it.
- Do not assume agreement alone changes a court deadline. Check whether the order and rules allow an agreed extension; otherwise seek the court's approval promptly, usually by an application on Form D11. Get advice if you get to this point.
An honest partial reply on time is better than a perfect reply three weeks late with no explanation.
Use a simple numbered document that mirrors the questionnaire exactly. Judges and lawyers read hundreds of these. The easier yours is to check, the more credible it looks.
- Heading. The court name, case number, both names, and a title such as "Replies of the Respondent to the Applicant's questionnaire dated 3 September 2026, as approved on 1 October 2026".
- Each question repeated, then your answer. Copy the question word for word with its number, then write "Reply:" and your answer below it. Do not group or reorder questions.
- Direct answers first. Start with the fact ("Yes, the account ending 4471 was closed on 12 March 2025"), then give any explanation.
- Numbered documents. Put the documents in a separate bundle, with each one given a reference (for example "Q4/1 — Nationwide statements Jan–Dec 2025") and an index. In the reply, refer to the reference.
- "Not applicable" and "none" are acceptable answers if they are true. Say them clearly, not in a long paragraph.
- Statement of truth. Court-directed replies must be verified by a statement of truth under Practice Direction 9A paragraph 5.2. Unless the court directs otherwise, serve the replies on the other side rather than filing them at court.
Keep emotion out of it. A reply that says "As usual, the Applicant is trying to paint me as dishonest" helps nobody. If a question gives a false picture, answer it and correct the picture in one calm sentence.
Weak and strong replies compared
These are fictional examples, but they reflect the kinds of question that come up again and again.
| Question | Weak reply | Strong reply |
|---|
| Explain the £6,500 transfer out of the joint account on 14 February 2026. | "It was my money. I don't see why I have to explain this." | "£6,500 was transferred to my Monzo account ending 2209 to pay the deposit on my rented flat. See Q3/1 (Monzo statement, Feb 2026) and Q3/2 (tenancy agreement and deposit receipt)." |
| Provide statements for all accounts for the last 12 months. | Sends 200 loose pages with no index. | "Statements for all five accounts listed at section 2.3 of my Form E, covering 1 Sept 2025 to 31 Aug 2026, are at Q1/1 to Q1/5. The Halifax ISA had no transactions; its annual statement is at Q1/4." |
| Provide a CETV for your workplace pension. | "Asked for it." | "I requested a CETV from the Aviva scheme on 3 October 2026 (letter at Q7/1). Aviva has confirmed it will be issued within 6 weeks (email at Q7/2). I will forward it as soon as I receive it." |
| Confirm whether you are cohabiting. | A page about the breakdown of the marriage. | "No. I live alone at the address on my Form E. I have been in a relationship since June 2026; my partner lives at her own home and we do not share finances." |
Look at the pension example. "Asked for it" invites a follow-up and suggests delay. The strong version shows the date, the evidence and a commitment, which closes the question.
Much of what questionnaires chase is missing Form E evidence: bank statements for the full 12 months, pension values, business accounts. If your Form E was complete in the first place, your questionnaire will be shorter. Our guides to Form E bank statements and the documents to attach cover what is usually expected.
What if a question goes too far?
The time to object is before or at the First Appointment, not afterwards. Once a question is approved, you are under a court order to answer it.
Grounds the court will listen to include:
- Disproportionate. Five years of statements for every account, in a case about a modest house and two small pensions.
- Not relevant to the issues in the concise statement of issues. Questions about the other person's affair, or who paid for a holiday in 2014, rarely affect the finances.
- Already answered in your Form E or its attachments. Say where.
- Not in your possession or control. You cannot produce your new partner's bank statements or your company's documents if you have no right to them. (If you control the company, the court may well expect you to produce them.)
If you have no lawyer, write a short note before the hearing setting out each question you object to and why, in one or two lines each, and send it to the other side and the court. At the hearing, the judge will go through the questionnaire. Offering a reasonable alternative ("I'll provide 12 months, not 5 years, unless a specific transaction is identified") often works better than a flat refusal.
If a question that is still live after the hearing asks for something you genuinely cannot get, answer it anyway. Explain what you did and why it failed. If compliance is impossible, explain that promptly and seek further directions where necessary; an explanation does not itself discharge a court order.
What happens if replies are late or incomplete?
The usual sequence is a list of what is missing, then a court application, then consequences for costs and for how the court views your evidence.
- Schedule of deficiencies. The other side sends a list of answers they say are missing or inadequate. Treat it seriously and reply point by point.
- An order to answer. They can apply for an order compelling specific answers by a fixed date, sometimes with a penal notice.
- Costs. The general rule in financial remedy cases is that each side pays its own costs, but FPR rule 28.3 lets the court order costs against a party whose litigation conduct justifies it. Failing to answer properly is a standard example.
- Adverse inferences. If you will not explain something, the court can draw conclusions about it, and those conclusions are rarely favourable. Our guide to what the court does when someone refuses disclosure explains how this plays out.
The same tools work for you if the other person's replies are late or thin. Keep a dated record and use the deficiencies route before going back to court.
One last point: the duty of full and frank disclosure does not end when you send your replies. If something changes afterwards, such as a new job, a bonus or a fresh valuation, tell the other side. Our guide to updating Form E when circumstances change explains how.
Questionnaires are shorter when the Form E behind them is accurate and well evidenced. If you have not filed yet, Divvio's guided Form E builds the totals for you and keeps each figure consistent across sections, which reduces the gaps a questionnaire picks up on.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to answer a Form E questionnaire?
You must answer the questions the court approves at the First Appointment, or that you agree with the other side. Under rule 9.14(4) of the Family Procedure Rules 2010, no disclosure has to be given before the First Appointment beyond what the rules require, and under rule 9.15(2) the judge decides which questions must be answered. Once a question is approved, answering it is a court order.
How long do I have to reply to a questionnaire?
The deadline is the date set in the directions order made at the First Appointment. The Family Procedure Rules do not fix a standard period, so the judge sets one, usually a matter of weeks. If you will miss it, ask promptly for an extension, send what you can on time, and check whether court approval is required. Agreement alone does not necessarily change a court deadline.
How should I format my questionnaire replies?
Use a numbered document that repeats each question word for word, followed by your reply. Give the direct answer first, then any explanation. Put supporting documents in a separate indexed bundle with references such as Q4/1, and refer to them in your reply. Court-directed replies must include a statement of truth under Practice Direction 9A paragraph 5.2. Serve them on the other side; do not file them at court unless directed.
Can I refuse to answer a questionnaire question?
You can object before or at the First Appointment on grounds such as the question being disproportionate, irrelevant to the issues, already answered in your Form E, or asking for documents you do not have or control. The judge decides. Once a question is approved, you must answer it; if you genuinely cannot get the information, explain what you did to try.
How long can a Form E questionnaire be?
The Financial Remedies Court Efficiency Statement of 11 January 2022 says a questionnaire should be no more than four pages unless the case is very complex and the court approves a longer document. Follow any more recent guidance or specific directions in your case. A much longer questionnaire is worth raising at the First Appointment.
What happens if I do not answer the questionnaire properly?
The other side will usually send a schedule of deficiencies, then may apply for an order compelling answers by a fixed date. The court can order you to pay costs for poor litigation conduct under FPR rule 28.3, and it can draw adverse inferences from gaps you will not explain. Those inferences rarely favour the person who stayed silent.